Working towards improvedpatient adherence: the value ofpartnership and collaboration

NPS MedicineWise have partnered with Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) to conduct the New Medicine Support Service (NMSS) study (a randomised controlled trial) in community pharmacies.

The NMSS is adapted from the NHS England’s New Medicine Service (NMS), introduced in 2011 within community pharmacy to provide support for patients newly prescribed a medicine for certain chronic conditions. The service includes two pharmacist consultations to support patients with their new medicine, assess medicine adherence, and identify any medicine-related problems.

NPS MedicineWise piloted the NMSS across nine community pharmacies in 2016 to determine how the English service could be adapted for delivery and workflow integration in Australian community pharmacy. An evaluation demonstrated that implementation of the NMSS across Australia was feasible and that the service was valued by pharmacists and patients.

Following the success of pilot 1, NPS MedicineWise and NQPHN have partnered to conduct a much larger randomised controlled trial of this service to assess the impact of the service on medicine adherence. We have worked together to recruit, train and support pharmacies, and engage with general practices.

The aim of this presentation is to discuss the partnership established between NQPHN and NPS MedicineWise and the value of collaborative partnerships to develop and implement programs that build community engagement, promote and encourage relationships between healthcare providers, and improve patient care.

This study would not have been possible without the collaboration between the PHN and NPS MedicineWise. Ultimately ongoing partnerships are required to implement services such as this in the community and improve the delivery of health care.